To the Moon and Back
by DontDrinkAndBike
Summary: Sequel to "Craters on the Moon." Miraculously restored to life in a temporary fashion, Artemis' demigod son Orion - along with his partner, Zoë - must now embark on their most perilous journey yet through one of the most dangerous remnants of the Greek world: the Labyrinth. Will they be able to make it to Daedalus and convince him to help before Orion's time runs out? OCxZoë
1. Prologue

**Well everyone, here we are! Finally, I've been struck with creative inspiration and I've finally begun work on the sequel to _Craters_. I have it outlined out, I know the major plot beats but I'm still ironing out some of the stuff in between. I don't know how long it will take me to finish this, but I will. You guys deserve that much. Enjoy, and please fav/follow/review if you like :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.**

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Prologue

The throne room of Olympus was filled with lustrous cerulean light. It emanated from a single source, a vaguely humanoid bubble of light, several dozen feet away from the group of demigods and Hunters gathered in the room's center. The marble walls of the Palace of the Gods seemed to absorb the light and amplify it, until it became so blinding even the assembled council of gods were shielding their eyes.

Then, abruptly, it faded. Zoë turned her head and stared.

A figure stood at ground zero, still outlined in a faint sheen of blue and silver light. It was a young man, fair-skinned and of average height, but with a lithe and deceptively muscular build. Zoë could make out jet-black hair, a strong jaw, and bright silver eyes. Her heart stuttered and nearly stopped in shock.

"Impossible," she breathed in disbelief. "O-Orion?"

Orion turned. Now that she could see him more clearly, she could confirm that it was, in fact, the son of Artemis. The faint glowing outline around his body was still there, though it had faded slightly, giving him a similar appearance to the Hunters (though still with that strange hint of blue in the silver).

A small smile blossomed over his face as he took her in. "Zoë," he said with relief.

It was just one simple word, but there was so much meaning infused behind it. She had never heard her name said that way before, and it sent a jolt through her chest. She wanted to keep hearing him say it forever, especially when she thought she'd never again get to hear his voice at all.

There was a blur of motion, and all eyes were suddenly drawn to the thrones – or to one in particular. Artemis had leaped down from her seat, and there was a flash of silver light as she transformed into her human-sized form midair. Her gaze was locked onto Orion with single-minded intensity, shining with emotion.

He watched her approach with silent expectation. His eyes, a mirror image of his mother's, similarly glistened.

When she reached him, she stopped in front of him and assessed his appearance with wonder. "Hello, mother," Orion said, his voice so soft it was barely audible.

Artemis tentatively extended her hand and cupped his cheek. A gentle glow of silver energy pulsed where she contacted him. Artemis and Zoë glanced at it strangely, but then he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, and it was forgotten.

"My son," Artemis whispered. "How is it possible that you have returned to us?"

"I also wish to know this." Zeus' rumbling voice filled the hall. "Your sacrifice, though ill-advised, was admittedly noble, but has Hades become so lax that he would allow every hero who gave their life for another to return freely?"

A quiet buzz of hushed conversations arose into the air as the assembled gods and demigods began murmuring to one another. Orion glanced cautiously between Zeus and Artemis, who still had not removed either her gaze or her hand from her son.

"Great Lord Zeus," Orion began, but he could barely be heard over the chatter in the room.

Zeus struck the arm of his throne with his hand, and a resounding rumble of thunder swept through the hall. All noise died instantly. "Speak, boy," Zeus said.

"Great Lord Zeus," Orion said again, his tone respectfully devoid of any traces of his usual cynical tone. "I'm afraid I don't know exactly what happened. I remember blackness, and I remember… there were stars, or something… and then I was here. I'm as baffled as the rest of you."

Zoë narrowed her eyes and studied him as he finished. She knew him well enough by now to recognize when he was lying.

Artemis, too, seemed to have picked up on his untruthfulness. She gave no outward sign, but Orion's attention flicked back to her from Zeus, and he very subtly shook his head. Zoë thought she glimpsed him mouth just one word: _Later._

Zeus, fortunately, noticed none of this, too busy pondering the mystery. After a time, he seemed to accept Orion's answer, though he was clearly still curious. "We were in the midst of offering rewards to the members of your quest when you returned," Zeus said. "I will talk to Hades about this occurrence. If he indeed was not involved, I may be willing to accept this mystery as it is and simply consider it your reward for your quest."

Orion bowed low. "Thank you, Lord Zeus," he said. "You are most gracious."

Zeus _harrumphed_. "Well, I suppose if all this unfortunate business is now concluded… as it seems we won't be destroying anyone today, I imagine we should honor these heroes for their success." He spread his arms wide in front of him.

"Let the celebrations begin!"


	2. Chapter 1: Looking Back and Ahead

**Happy Thanksgiving, America, and Happy Thursday everyone else :) Another chapter for you to celebrate.**

**Also, I'll say again, I made many improvements and additions to the Epilogue of _Craters_, so I'd suggest you go back and read that. Honestly, I think you should go back and re-read _Craters_ in its entirety, since it's been so long, but if you don't want to commit to that, I understand, but you should at least re-read the Epilogue. Anyways, enjoy!**

**EDIT 11/30/2019: I decided I liked the segmentation better to include what was going to be the first section of Chapter 2 as the end of Chapter 1 instead. Thus, I've reuploaded Chapter 1 with the new section. Thanks for your patience, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.**

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I

Looking Back and Ahead

As the assembly began to disperse from the hall following Zeus' exclamation and I finally had a brief moment to think to myself, I began to take stock of my new form. One of the first things I noticed was that I was warm.

This may seem like a fairly straightforward observation, I grant you. But it wasn't warmth like anything I've known before. The only way I can describe it is that I didn't _feel_ warm – in fact, I didn't really feel _anything_. It was more like the warmth was coming from inside me, a steady internal pulse that filled my entire body… or, my – well, you get the point.

This was strange, but I didn't exactly want to think about it too hard just then. After all, there was a party to get to, right?

But as I made to follow the crowd out into Olympus proper, my mother's voice echoed in my head.

_Wait._

I gave her a curious look, but shrugged and obeyed. We waited silently while everyone filed out, and I got the sense that she was using the moment to simply breathe in the familiar comfort of my presence once again.

I couldn't blame her. I was doing the same thing with her.

No one even really spared us a strange look. A concerned gaze from Zeus lingered on Artemis for a brief time, but he seemed to understand and soon departed with the others. In fact, it seemed like most everyone understood that we needed a moment to ourselves with each other, given all that had happened. Once they were all gone and we were finally alone, Artemis hesitantly stepped forward and lightly wrapped her arms around me.

I froze. "Um… what are you doing?" I said.

Her head was over my shoulder, but I could sense her frown. "I am… hugging you," she said, sounding as uncertain as I felt. "Is this… unpleasant?"

I swallowed. "No," I whispered. "No, it's actually… it's very pleasant. I just thought you…"

"I think I can make an exception for my son."

With that, the dam broke. I felt all my emotions surge up to drown me, and in desperation, I reciprocated her hug far more tightly.

"I'm sorry," I hiccupped. "For everything. I didn't – I just wanted –"

"Shh," she said. "Shh, Orion. I know."

We separated, and I went to wipe my eyes, when I realized my face was bone dry. "Oh, seriously?" I moaned. "I can't even _cry_?"

Artemis watched me carefully. "Yes, I noticed your form is… unusual," she said. "Am I correct to assume it has something to do with how you have returned?"

I sighed. "You are. And I suppose now that we're alone, you'd like to hear about it."

It wasn't a question, but she inclined her head anyway. "I would."

"Alright," I said, sighing again. "Please don't, um, please don't be mad at me. I took a risk, but I did what I felt was best."

"Orion… what have you done?"

"Hey, don't say it like that!" I protested. "It's not that bad."

She gave me a look.

"Okay, it's kinda bad," I caved. "But hear me out."

She motioned me to go on. "Explain."

I gave her a summary of what had transpired in the strange limbo of the stars between Marethyu and I (without mentioning his name, of course, though I could tell she knew who I was talking about anyway). I told her about what my new existence now meant, and the quest I'd been given for the chance to make it permanent. She remained silent throughout my retelling, growing more and more pensive as I continued.

When I finished, her expression was grim. "I cannot say I am happy about this situation, Orion," she said. "Do not misunderstand me: I _am_ grateful you are back, immensely so. But you have taken a great risk in doing this. If you are unsuccessful…"

"I know." I grimaced. "Don't you think it's worth the risk, though, mother?"

"Perhaps. It may yet prove to be. It troubles me, however, that your survival is contingent upon the involvement of Daedalus."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Artemis's silver eyes were cloudy. "It may surprise you to know – and I would advise you not to repeat this – that the gods were unaware of the nature of Daedalus' continued existence."

Now that _was_ surprising. My eyes widened slightly. "What?"

"Daedalus was a demigod but he was never granted immortality," she said, sounding irritated. "Hades has long since confirmed he has never entered the Underworld, but until what you've just told me, we were uncertain how exactly he had survived, if he had even done so at all. He had simply… vanished. He has managed to avoid us for many centuries."

"No offense, but… how is that possible?" I asked. "You guys are _gods_. How could he hide from you for that long?"

"The most likely explanation is that he has secluded himself in the Labyrinth."

"Ah, I see." It took a moment for that to sink in. "Wait. The Labyrinth? The giant maze under Crete?"

Artemis nodded. "Daedalus constructed it at King Minos' request. As the gods have shifted to follow Western culture, the Labyrinth, too, has moved."

"So now it's here."

"Yes."

"Huh… um, can I ask something?"

My mother seemed amused. "You may."

"I get that it's a huge maze and all, but shouldn't the gods be able to find him pretty easily? I mean, you guys can like, sense people, right?"

An uneasy expression came over her face. "Normally, yes," she said. "But it does have limitations, and the Labyrinth is… it is ever-evolving and ever-growing, ever-changing. It is a construction of magic, intentionally designed to confound and mislead. Even we gods cannot penetrate all of its mysteries."

I felt my spirits start to sink. If even the gods couldn't find him, how was I possibly supposed to have any chance of doing it?

My mother softened, probably picking the thought from my mind. She laid a hand on my shoulder and frowned slightly at the small pulse of blue and silver energy that flared there. Then she looked up and her moon-like gaze met mine. "I promise you, Orion," she said sincerely. "I will do all that I can to investigate this matter on my own. It may be there is some way of locating him which we have overlooked, and if so, I will find it. But in the meantime, you should join the celebration. After everything that's happened, you deserve to enjoy some happiness." A twinkle entered her eyes. "Besides, I think there is someone else you need to speak to."

_Zoë_…

I grimaced. "Yeah, that's going to go well," I said.

"Yes, I imagine she may be angry with you."

"Thanks for the words of encouragement."

"But it will quickly give way to relief," she continued, as if I hadn't spoken. Her voice then grew infinitesimally small. "We lost you, Orion. If she is angry at your actions, it is because she was afraid… that she would never see you again."

"I'm sorry, moth- Mom."

"You have no need to apologize. I understand your choice, and I admire your willingness to make it. But she may need some time… time for the positive emotions of your return to help her forget the despair from your death."

"I understand."

A blanket of quiet descended upon us.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "I, um," I started, "I suppose we should address the elephant in the room."

Artemis raised an eyebrow.

I shifted. "My, err, _liaison _with Zoë?"

"Never call it that again."

"Gladly." A pause. "…So? It didn't matter before, because… well, you know. But now…"

She sighed. "I admit, I would have been uncertain how to handle this situation without being hypocritical, one way or another," she said. "However, Zoë has already rendered my reaction moot."

I got a sinking feeling. "What do you mean?"

"I think it best she tell you herself."

I had never seen so many colors before in my entire life.

The entire mountainside of Olympus was ablaze with vibrant lights and the crisp air resonated with joyous songs. The enormous main garden was now decked out in gold and silver streamers and other typical party decorations, which I found more than a little humorous. But the atmosphere was far beyond anything any normal human party could ever achieve. The night sky was lit so vividly I imagined it'd be visible for miles if it weren't shrouded in Mist.

Of course, there was still the small matter of the impending ultimatum hanging over my head, but I admit the levity in the air did do something to raise my spirits a little.

Half-bloods, Hunters, Olympians, minor gods, and other mythical residents of Olympus all mingled with each other, milling aimlessly around the garden. There were fountains of nectar and ambrosia, as well as marble pedestals topped with SOLO cups of soda and juice, bags of potato chips, and other more traditional party foods.

(I was pretty partial to the pizza myself. Unfortunately, I realized when I tried to eat it that apparently Marethyu's magic also did not extend to tasting and ingesting food… a true shame. It made me remember his words about interacting with objects, and I wondered what other inconveniences this new form was going to present.)

I wandered around the Olympic garden party, searching intently for Zoë. I was waylaid here and there to chat as various assorted Hunters, demigods, and minor gods who'd heard or seen what I'd done wanted to express their gratitude and/or admiration. I wasn't exactly sure how to handle all that attention, so I just kept smiling and nodding and thanking everyone for their kind words.

After many minutes of this social torture, I at last caught a glimpse of familiar dark hair in a secluded corner of the garden. I excused myself as politely as possible from my latest assailant and made my way over.

Zoë was on her own, down on one knee and running her hand gently down the petals of a beautiful flower that glowed a luminescent silver. There was a whole cluster of them together, giving off a soft shine that reminded me of my mother and filled me with a feeling of comfort.

"It is called moonlace," Zoë said quietly, without turning her head. "It needs very special care and conditions in order to flourish, but when it does, it is the most beautiful flower in the world."

I approached her and laid my hand on her shoulder. "It's gorgeous," I said. "But I think you and I are biased."

I heard her snort slightly. Then she tensed under my hand and I heard her inhale sharply. "Orion, I –"

"I understand if you're mad," I interrupted, trying to preempt her. "It was rash, and maybe stupid, and I'm sorry, but I don't regret it. I would do it again if I had to."

"I am not angry," Zoë said. She finally stood and turned to face me. Her copper skin around her eyes was slightly red, and her hair was mussed and a little tangled, like she'd been constantly dragging her hands through it.

I also noticed her silver circlet braid was conspicuously absent, as was the ever-present silver sheen around her body.

"Zoë," I said, the sinking feeling from earlier solidifying into a painful stone in my gut. "What happened while I was… gone?"

"The gods offered each of us a reward for the successful completion of our quest to free Artemis," she said. "I simply requested something unexpected."

"No… please tell me you didn't…"

But her next words confirmed my horrible theory. "I asked for dismissal from the Hunters, and Artemis granted it."

"Zoë!" I exclaimed. "Are you serious? The Hunters have been your life – your family – for millennia! You can't just give that up for me!"

"I did not do it _for_ you," she snapped. "Though I admit it was largely _because_ of you. And I would appreciate if you would not try to tell me what I can and cannot do!" I gave her a sheepish look, and she calmed slightly at my guilty expression. "Orion, you must understand," she continued, more softly. "I have never known anything other than the Hunters for so long. Yes, they are my sisters, and I love each and every one of them. But when I met you… when I traveled with you, you showed me things about the world I would never have seen. You helped me open my mind for the first time after millennia of bitterness. You helped me find true happiness again. I never expected my entire perspective on life to shift within just a few short weeks, but it did. _You_ did that. When I thought you were gone…" She shivered. "The idea of returning to a monotonous existence devoid of the wonder you had opened me to, it was unbearable. And though it pains me to leave Artemis and my sisters, I knew that, at the very least, I needed to spend some time on my own to be able to figure out what I wanted to do next. And… I decided that the gift of immortality had become a curse if it would keep me from you."

My eyes burned at the thought of everything she had given up for me and the evidence of how much she truly loved me. It was probably the first time I had ever actually wished I could cry. I told her as much, and she chuckled ruefully. "I don't deserve you," I added honestly.

She shook her head. "We both know that isn't true," she said. "You proved your love first with what you did for me. Orion, you literally laid down your life for mine. In comparison, what I have sacrificed is next to nothing."

"It's not nothing," I insisted. "And I promise that it won't be _for_ nothing, either."

Zoë smiled. With no hesitation, she stepped forward and kissed me… then she frowned and stepped back, touching her fingers to her lips uncertainly. "That was…" she began

"Weird," I finished, matching her expression.

She nodded.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. "Unfortunately, I know why," I said. "I suppose I should explain."

"Please do. I could tell you were lying to Zeus about how you came back, you know."

I shrugged; that didn't really surprise me. "Yeah, well. I wasn't sure he'd be too happy about it. Actually, scratch that, I was _sure_ he wouldn't be happy about it."

"He will also not be happy about being deceived," Zoë warned.

"I'm aware. It's not that I wanted to keep it from him forever, I just didn't exactly want to reveal it in front of the whole council and everyone else. I imagine he'll find out from Artemis soon enough, and hopefully she'll be able to mitigate most of his anger."

"Perhaps. In any case, stop delaying and explain to me what happened."

"Right. That." I sighed. "Look, I know what your reaction is going to be, I've already heard it from Artemis. But I did what I thought was best, so hear me out."

She made a sour face, but nodded and motioned for me to continue.

"When Artemis put my soul into the sky, I woke up in a kind of weird limbo space and met up with our hook-handed friend." Zoë's eyes widened. "I know. He said I had a choice; that I could stay in the sky forever, able to observe the world but not interact with it, or he could send me back in a temporary form and give me a way that I might be able to make it permanent. It was an easy choice to make."

Zoë frowned. "How did he do that?" she asked.

I reached out my hand to her, and she trailed her finger along my palm. She gazed intently at the small flare of silvery sapphire light that pulsed at the contact. "It's almost entirely pure energy, _his _energy," I said. "It has substance, but it doesn't interact with objects on this plane in the same way. There are lots of things I can't do."

"Such as?"

"Well, as you might guess, most of them seem to have to do with normal bodily functions. I don't need to eat or drink, and apparently I can't cry. I'd be willing to bet I won't have to, erm, _pass waste_, but I'll probably still have to sleep to recover strength. Jury's still out, though. I'm not sure if I'll experience pain, because I can't really feel things in the same way either. Like, I can feel that they're there, but they don't make me _feel_ anything. Do you know what I mean?"

Zoë touched her lips again. "I think that I do," she said sadly. Then her eyes narrowed. "Wait. You said a _temporary_ form?"

I coughed. "Er, yeah. …That's the part you're not gonna like." I sighed. "Even Mare – can we just call him M or something? It feels really awkward to keep avoiding his name. Anyways… even M's energy has its limits. He gave me as much of his power as he could, but if I can't transfer my mortal soul to a permanent form before his energy is depleted, my soul will no longer have anything to bind it to this plane and I'll fade."

She stared at me. "…How long?"

"Six weeks, maybe eight."

"So soon," she whispered torturously. I watched Zoë sadly as she processed this new information. She seemed at a loss for what to say, her mouth opening and closing with no sound coming out. Her obsidian eyes were pained. "Orion…" she tried to say.

I stepped forward and embraced her. She tucked her head into my shoulder, and I used one hand to rub down her back and the other to stroke through her hair. "I know, Zoë, I know," I whispered. "We'll figure this out. I promise you, I don't plan to fade from this world."

"You had better not."

"I'll never leave you again," I said fiercely. "Never. I'll survive this, just like I have everything else, and then you and I will figure out what to do next, just like we always have. Alright?"

"Yes," Zoë murmured. She sniffed, then her voice strengthened. "Yes," she repeated, louder. "I will be at your side through whatever may come to pass. We will find a way to save you… whatever it takes."

I don't know how long we stood there in silence, finally able to revel in each other's embrace. But eventually, the tender moment was shattered with an awkwardly surprised exclamation.

"Oh, uh, sorry," I heard a voice start uncertainly. "We were looking for you, but we'll just –"

I turned. Percy and Annabeth were standing there, blushing slightly and looking a little uncomfortable. Percy tried to subtly slip his hand out of Annabeth's before we could notice, but I caught it anyway. I was pretty sure Zoë did, too, but neither of us chose to comment on it.

"Hey, Percy," I said with a smile. "Don't worry about it, we're glad to see you two."

"Indeed," Zoë agreed. "Your actions at Mount Tam were very brave. The two of you should both be proud of what you accomplished. For a mortal to bear the weight of the sky, even for a short period…" She shook her head in admiration. "You both are stronger than you know."

Percy shifted a bit on his feet, seeming a little unsure how to receive the praise. Zoë didn't give out compliments like that very often – let alone to a male – and I hoped Percy realized how significant that was. To his credit, it seemed like he did.

"Thanks, Zoë," Percy said. "That really means a lot. But none of it could have happened without the two of you, and that's why we came looking for you. We just wanted to say… thank you. For everything. I know you guys didn't really like me at first, but you had every opportunity to turn me away on the quest and you didn't, so… I really owe you one."

"We both do," Annabeth added. "This whole ordeal… it was my fault. If I hadn't gotten captured, Luke wouldn't have been able to kidnap Artemis and this whole quest wouldn't have had to happen. I'm sorry about that, but thank you so much for coming to rescue us."

I shook my head. "It wasn't your fault, Annabeth," I said. "There wasn't anything you could've done differently. Luke and Atlas knew exactly what they needed to lure my mother into their trap, and that wasn't on you."

She gave me a small smile, but I could still see a bit of guilt in her stormy grey eyes. "Thanks." She nodded at me, and I returned it.

Zoë tapped me on the shoulder. "I will be back," she said. "I… I wish to speak to Lady Artemis before we leave."

I looked at her, and I heard in that moment the words she didn't say: _I wish to say goodbye_. I tried my best to keep my lingering guilt and sorrow out of my concerned gaze – I didn't think I succeeded. Zoë just shook her head. "We don't need to have this conversation again, Orion," she said, and I nodded unhappily. "I will find you after." With that, she left our little group and returned to the garden at large to seek out Artemis. With Zoë gone, I sighed. I knelt down and traced a leaf of the moonlace, trying to reassure myself again of her conviction in her choice.

Annabeth watched me for a moment, then coughed. "Percy," she said. "Why don't you go… get us some food?"

Percy looked like he wanted to argue, but Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him and he caught her meaning. He cleared his throat. "Right, um, sure," he said. "I'll, uh… try not to take too long." With one last look between Annabeth and I, he left the two of us alone. "Or maybe I will," I barely heard him mumble as he walked away.

I didn't look up from calmly stroking the moonlace. "Subtle," I remarked.

Annabeth snorted, and I cracked a small smile. "I swear his head is full of seaweed most of the time, but he really does mean well," she said.

"He has the biggest heart of anyone I know," I agreed.

She nodded, a wistful smile on her face. "He'll do anything for the people he cares about." She gave me a meaningful look. "But it seems like he's not the only one. You don't give yourself enough credit."

"Oh?"

"Don't act like we didn't all see what you did," she said. "I don't know you, or Zoë really, for that matter, but even I can already tell you'd go through Tartarus and back for her and Artemis."

"I would," I confirmed softly.

She scrutinized me with an interested gaze. "So, I guess you really _are _the son of Artemis, huh?" I nodded. "How in Hades did that happen? And you seem pretty close with Zoë… what's the history there? I've met Zoë and the Hunters once before, years ago, and she seems like a completely different person now."

"I told you it's a long story."

I must have come off a bit harsher than I intended. "Sorry," Annabeth said. "Sometimes I forget invasive questioning isn't cool." She shrugged. "You don't have to tell me anything. It's none of my business, but you know, daughter of Athena curiosity and all that… sometimes I wish I could turn it off."

"I highly doubt that," I said with a smirk.

She laughed. "You're right, I don't."

"It's fine," I assured her, standing back up and facing her. "I didn't mean to be rude. It's not that, I just… I've got a lot on my mind right now. Ask me again when I've had the chance to clear my head and maybe I'll tell you the story." Then I realized something. "Hang on a minute, I forgot you were a daughter of Athena. I have a question you might be able shed some light on."

"Sure, shoot."

I took a deep breath. "Do you know anything about the Labyrinth?" I asked.

A panicked expression took over Annabeth's face and was rapidly subdued. Her mouth opened, then closed, and she bit her bottom lip. "Nope," she squeaked, her voice an octave higher than usual. "Not a thing!"

With great effort, I managed not to laugh in her face. I settled instead for quirking an eyebrow. "I really hope you aren't expecting me to ignore that _incredibly convincing_ lie."

She rubbed her temples and made a noise that was half a snort and half a frustrated huff. "I'm usually better than that, you just caught me off guard," she said. She glanced around, then lowered her voice. "Look – Orion, right? – look, Orion, I don't know what your interest in the Labyrinth is, but whatever it is, you should know that place is extremely dangerous. It's a nightmare. Chiron, myself, and another camper named Clarisse have been investigating it recently, and pretty much all we've learned so far is that going in there is basically suicide right now. That's all I can tell you. But if I were you, I'd just try to forget all about the Labyrinth."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," I said.

She studied my eyes as if searching for something. I met her gaze steadily. Eventually, she sighed. "If you really need to know more, talk to Chiron when you get back to Camp. I mean, I assume you _are_ coming back to Camp?"

I hesitated. "Probably for a short period at least, yes."

"Then go see Chiron when you do. I can't promise he'll tell you anything more, and I _really_ think you should let it go, but if you're really serious and you can't, he might be able to help you."

"Thanks, Annabeth," I said, offering a grateful smile.

"You won't be thanking me later, trust me," she grumbled, but the corners of her lips were twitching.

"Whatever," I shot back with a grin. "Will we be seeing you back at Camp?"

Annabeth frowned. She scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. "Actually, I think I'm going to spend the holidays with my Dad and stepmom back out in California," she said. "After this week, he wants me to give him another chance, and I think I'm finally ready to give it a shot. If it goes well, I might even try to finish out the school year out there."

"Wow," I said. "That's… that's great. I mean, you'll be missed at Camp, but I'm glad you're trying to reconnect with your family. I wish you the best, Annabeth."

She smiled. "Thanks, Orion."

The crinkle of plastic bags finally interrupted our solitude. "Hey Wise Girl, I hope this is what you wanted," Percy called, returning with a few cups of soda and some bags of chips.

"Thanks, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, and I could hear the way her tone of affection turned the insult into a term of endearment. Percy blushed.

"I'm good, actually, thanks," I declined the offer. "And I think I should probably try to find my mother and Zoë now. Thanks for the conversation, Annabeth. I'll keep in mind what you said." I nodded to her, and she returned it.

As I turned and walked away, Percy just looked confused. My last glimpse was of a frown on the face of the son of Poseidon and of Annabeth leaning over to whisper something in his ear.


End file.
